Massaging apparatus



Aug. 30, 1938, H. v 3. BARB'OJR 2,128,790

MAS SAGING APPARATUS Filed July 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1938. H. c1 BARBOUR 2,128,790

MASSAGING APPARATUS Filed July 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J M a a 7 4 42 14 r 9 if 40 9 2 i (N J2 Patented Aug. 30, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENTVO FFICE Claims.

A This invention relates to a massaging apparaftus and one object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of this, character, means for massaging the'face and other portions of the 5 body and thusstimulating circulation and also smoothing the flesh and eliminating wrinkles.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that when it is used for massaging the face, the flesh engaging member may be .caused to have substantially.reciprocating movement in a vertical direction and will make contact with the face during upward movement. Therefore, the-flesh and muscles of the cheeks and adjacent portions of the face Will be urged upwardly during the massaging operation and sagging flesh along the jaws and under the eyes eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this apparatus that the flesh engaging member may be caused to have either a reciproeating motion or a vibrating motion and thus either a vibratory or a pushing motion imparted.

It is also an object of the invention to permit the length of the reciprocating motion to be controlled and thus eliminate danger of injury due to excessive length of movement. Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved handle by means of which the massaging implement may be guided and have the desired movements without the handle being subjected to excessive vibrations which would make it diificult to hold.

Another object of the invention is the pronsion of an improved housing for the motor and other elements of the massaging apparatus,the housing having a base provided with improved means for securing it upon a table or other support and a hood movable from a lowered or closed position to a raised position sothat access view, taken along the 50 i may be had to the motor, switch and rheostat.

Figure 6 is a sectional view. of a suction cup which may be used in place of the roller.

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram. Figure 8 is a view of the handle. I This improved massaging machine is primarily 5 intended for use in a home although it may be used in commercial establishments'such as beauty parlors and the like. It has a housing which'is to be firmly'but detachably secured upon a table or equivalent support I and in order to do so, the 10 base 2 of the housing carries clamps 3 which are secured to opposite side edge faces of the base by threaded stems 4 and winged nuts 5. Slots 6 through which the threaded stems pass are formed in the clamps and the clamps are-of angular formation in order that they may be disposed in depending relation to the base, as shown at the right in Figure 1,and engage under the table top, or disposedhorizontally against side and end edges of the base, as shown at the left of Figurel. It will thus be seen that thehousing may be secured upon the table by either the right or left hand clamps being swung downwardly to engage under the table top and then shifted upwardly into gripping engagement with the under face of the table top and the winged nuts tightened. The clamps at the other side of the base will remain in the position shown at the left of Figure 1 when not in use where they will b'e out of way. It will be obvious that if so desired the housing may be set upon a shelf or the like correspondingto the width of the base, in which case all of the clamps may be swung downwardly into position for use. I The hood or body portion 1 of the housing is hinged to the base, as shown at 8, in order that this hood may be swung upwardly to permit ac cess to' the motor 9 when necessary, and upon referring to" Figure 2 it will be seen that the motor rests upon the base where it is secured by 40- a clamping band I 0 which straddles the motor and is formed with seats ll secured upon the base at opposite sides, of the motor by screws l2. The end walls. I3 of the hood extend downwardly from the .top wall I4 beyond the front and rear v walls [5 and I6 and when the'hood is in the lowered or closed position, the lower end portions of the end Walls overlap side edge faces of the base to bracethe hood against transverse movement which might shift it out of its proper position when the apparatus is in use. A latch I1 7 carried by the base engages a keeper l8 projecting from'the front wall when the hood is in the closed position. Therefore, the hood will be held i t d. position but may be released and cess to the motor is necessary.

swung upwardly to an opened position when ac- -T0 the shaft of the motor is fixed a disc l9 and in. this disc is formed a radially extending slot 20 through which extends a pin or stem 2| carrying a winged nut 22 which, when tightened,-

wall and top of the hood may be caused to have either a long or a short reciprocating stroke during rotation of the disc. slot are padded, as shown at 25, so that if "the rod makes contact with marginal edgesr of ethe slot during reciprocating motion the hood and the rod will not become scarred o-r-worn During rotation of the disc, the rod has. re: cipro'cating motion through the'slot 24"and'"'by properly holding the rod, the flesh engaging' ele-o ment 26 at the outer or: front end of the rod may be caused to have movement along the'face or other portion of the body whichit engages or it may be caused to reciprocate towards land away from the'flesh to "be operated upon and have tamping or vibratory engagement 'there- 1 with. 'In' order to selectivelyipermit the massaging or tamping action to take place,'there has been provided a handle 21 of such length and thickness'thatit may be'easily grasped in a persons hand. "This handleis hollow, as shown in L Figure 8, and carries a plunger 28 which is slidable longitudinally of the 'handleand yielda'bly held against sliding movement by the springs '29 and 3|]. It willthus be 'seen that the plunger 'may have sliding'movement in either direction but will be yielda bly held'in anormaLposition by the two springs, The jplunger projects from i the handle and terminates'in an eye 3|' which fits loosely about the" rod23. Therefore. the

" handlemay'lbe slidalonglthe 'ro'd'and serve not Iorilyi. to guide the e1ementi26 intol'e'ngagement with a. desired portion of the'body'but also con- .js'titute .a shiftable' fulcrum. The plunger. 28' is not only slidable longitudinally in'- the handle but i also rotatable therein and, therefore, it' maybe easily held in a pers'ons hand and movedilongitudinally of thefrod'23. ."jItwill also be obvious that the rod may be 'shift'ed'vertically or trans.- versely and that during'movementhof the vrod,

the plunger may be'shifted' longitudinally inthe handle without the handle being'itself moved with the rod. Therefore; the handle maybe firmly held in a persons hand. By'shifting the handle'along the rod" towards, thehousing; the

' eye'servin'g as a fulcrum will be solocated with respect to the rod'that the element {2B iwil1 be moved vertically quite a'distance; whereas when the handle is shiftedalong the rod to'the outer end thereof, the elementlZE will have practically no vertical movement but merely a' reciprocating' movement towards and 'awayfrom "the sur face' to be treated and have'tamping engagement therewith instead of massaging engagement e In Figures 1 and 2', the operating element-26' has been'shown in'the form of a roller '32. This specific embodiment "ofthe' operating. element is alsoillustrated in Figure 5;,and referring to Figures 1, 3 and 5'. itwill be seen thatthe roller is formed of soft rubbenfitting tightly about a core-33 through whichaextends a shaft.34 serving to rotatably mount the roller. This shee or axle 34 is carried by the'arms of a yoke.35l.w hich fits loosely about the stem or shank I35 This stem or shank is in the formof abolt screwed Marginal edges of the -Vid6d a switch 4!] of a conventional construction 'ries a turning knob 46 by means of which the into a threaded socket 31 at the outer or free end of the rod 23 and, therefore, the roller will be connected with the rod in such a manner that it will be removable therefrom when another type of operating element is to be used. 5 In Figure G'there has been shown a modified form of operating element consisting of a soft rubber vacuum'cup 38 carrying a threaded stem 39 which may be screwed into the socket 31. It will be obvious that other forms of operating elements may be used;

In order to control operation of the motor and V the speed at which it runs, there have been proand a'rheostat 4|. The switch is secured against the under or inner face of the topwall I by bolts in such-position, that its. operating member 43 .projectsupwardly through a slot 44 formed in the top wall;""'Therefore, the switch may be turned on or off without raising the hood. The rheostat 4| is secured againstthe sidewall l3 of the hoodo'r housing at the opposite sideithereof from the slot 24iby bolts and its stem45 extends outwardly through the side wall and carstem' maybe turned to swing the arm 47 along the coil48. 1 The power wiresi4'9t extend intothe housing through the rear wall 16, one: off these wires being connected with the switch 40 and the other with one side of the motor. Other wirest 30 '50 and "5| connect the switch with the rheostat and the rheostat' with the motor, and upon re- 7 ferring to the wiringdiagram in Figure? it will be readily seen .that'when'thearm of the rheostat is shifted along the coil'thereof, the speed at whichthemotor runs may be controlled,

' '--When this apparatus is in -use; it is set upon a table or other convenient/support whereit is'firmlysecured-bythe clamps 3. The terminal plug 52 is engaged *in a .wall socket:so that current will 'be supplied to the motor whenztheswitchis turned'on and anoperating element' 26 of thetype V which it is-desired to fuse is 'appliedto theouter end of the rod'23. 'Ihehandle'fl is heldin one hand and the 1switch34 0 turned on, after" which 5 the-rheos'tat-is' adjustedto control the speed ,tof the motor 'andithe-speedat-which; the rod 1.23 is reciprocated-during rotation 'of the 9. [The operator sits'in front'of the table if the face is to be treated or may 'stand 'if other portions "of 'theggg body'a're to be massaged. {It will be assumedthat the face is to-be treated. Coldjcreamgor the like is applied to the'cheeks and other portions of the face and neck, and,'by holding the handle '21; the roller orsuction: cup isfmoved 'into'positipn 1305355 make contact withth'eskin, .By shifting the han- {dle alongthe rod, the extent to which the bller "ct cup rnovesf vertically during reciprocating movement of the rod may be controlled and either a long-or a-short=strokeobtained. If the handle gil) 4 is'shi-ftedalong the rod, to the socket 31, prac- -tically all vertical movement of the operatingelement will be eliminated audit will merely ha ve reciprocating motion'towards and away from the wfacenand atamping 'or'vibrating'"action will'take;

place. In view of the fact. that when-thehandle :is shifted along the rod to. a.position inwhich vertical movement of the operating element is ;-.,permitted,, :this element L will only :have contact with the skin during its upwardmovement andclo ,themmove away from thevface and downwardly 'out ofjcontact with :the skin, .rthe skin will be subjected to a lifting motionand sagging tissues "corrected The suction cup rnotzsonly. 'a'pp'liesa massaging action to the skinbutlalsoecreatese suction which stimulates circulation and draws blackheads and the like out of pores of the skin. When repairs to the motor, switch or rheostat are necessary, or it is desired to adjust the inner end of the rod 23 radially of the disc l9, the latch I! is moved out of engagement with the keeper l8 and the hood or casing swung upwardly and rearwardly to a raised position in which the motor will be fully exposed and easy access may be had to the switch and rheostat. This also permits the rod 23 to be easily detached from the disc when the apparatus is to be put away. As the-under face of the base 2 and the clamps 3 are covered by soft rubber, as shown at 53 and 54, a polished table will not be scratched or otherwise marred when the apparatus is in use and secured upon the table.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is;

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a motor, a disc carried by and rotating with the shaft of said motor, a rod carried by said disc and having reciprocating motion imparted to it during rotation of the disc, an operating element at the outer end of said rod, and a handle disposed laterally of the rod and loosely engaged with said rod and constituting a fulcrum for the rod shiftable along the rod.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a drive member, a rod connected with said drive member and receiving reciprocating motion during operation of the drive member, an operating element carried by, said rod, a handle, a plunger loose in the handle and slidable longitudinally therein, resilient means in the handle yieldably resisting sliding movement of the plunger longitudinally of the handle ineither direc- 'tion, and an eye at the outer end of said plunger loosely engaged about said rod whereby the handle may be shifted along the rod.

3. An apparatus of the character described 7 comprising a housing having a base and. a hood hinged to the base for movement from a closed position upon the baseto a raised position, a passage being formedin the hood, a latch for releasably holding the hood in its closed position,

said hood having side walls extending downwardly below its front and rear walls to provide side walls with depending portions for engaging side edge faces of the base and placing the hood against transverse movement when closed, a drive member carried by the base and enclosed by the housing when the hood is in the lowered position, a rod extending outwardly through the passage and having its inner end connected with the draft member for actuation thereby, and an operating element at the outer end of said rod.

4. An apparatus of the character described. comprising a housing having a base, clamps carried by said base at opposite sides thereof and shiftable from a horizontal position against edge faces of the base to a depending position for engaging under a support and detachably securing the base upon the support, a hood hinged to said base and having side walls engaging opposite side edge faces of the base when in a lowered position, a slot being formed in the hood, a motor mounted upon said base and enclosed in the housing when the hood thereof is in the lowered position, a disc carried by the shaft of said motor, a rod pivoted to said disc and extending outwardly through the passage, anoperating element at the outer end of said rod, and a handle carried by said rod between the hood and the outer end of the rod.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a housing having a base and a hood, the hood having a passage formed therein, a motor mounted upon said base and enclosed in the housing, a switch for said motor mounted in the hood and having anoperating element extending outwardly through an opening in the hood, a rheostat for controlling speed of the motor mounted in the hood and having an operating member extending outwardly through a wall of the hood, a disc carried by the shaft of said motor, a rod pivoted to said disc and extending out of the hood, an operating, element at the outer end of said rod, and a handle carried by the rod between the hood and the outer end of the rod.

HERBERT C. BARBOUR. 

